The Vision Family Tree

 

With the final third of an unlikely Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogy premiering in the form of Disney+ series VisionQuest, what better time than now to explore the labyrinth that is the Vision Family Tree. Anyway, let us review my self-imposed rules and throw in some new ones while we are at it.

 

*Before we dive right in, the usual rules: For the purposes of these family trees, I accept that MC2 characters share their published history (up to a point) with their 616/Main Marvel Universe counterparts. I make exceptions for any retcons implemented after the point the MC2 diverges from the 616 and in cases where it's explicitly or implicitly different (Aunt May really died) or when a writer later introduces a previously unheard of relative (the extended Pym family) who is never mentioned, seen or heard of in the MC2. With the last exception, I would add them to the family tree in later updates should they be mentioned in MC2 material at any point. Got it? Excellent! *

 

Due to the unusual situation this Family Tree presents, not only will this family tree have a lot of crossovers but many of those included are artificial beings with brain patterns modelled on a human being. Additionally, sometimes their ‘creator’ is- or was- also their partner. Yes, it is ‘complicated.’ With the goal of maintaining focus, there are also several relatives of each of these human-brain-pattern-donors who will not be covered in this Family Tree. Got it? Hopefully, that is all clear, because there is a lot to take in. Let us go!

 

First appearing in Marvel Comics #1, published in 1939, inventor Phineas Horton created the artificial being known as The Human Torch aka Jim Hammond. Hammond would go on to have an extensive career as both a police officer and superhero during World War II, before making his return in the modern Marvel Age in Fantastic Four Annual #4 in 1966 wherein he was deactivated.

 

The villainous Mad Thinker used Jim’s bodily remains to lure the Human Torch’s former partner Toro into a trap in Sub-Mariner (vol. 2) #14 before being laid to rest in a cemetery as seen in Avengers West Coast #50. In the same issue, the West Coast Avengers would revive the android Torch, and he would soon after join their ranks.

 

The human-hating Ultron came from humble beginnings, the creation of Dr. Hank Pym. After a cameo appearance in Avengers #54, Ultron made his first full appearance in Avengers #55. While Pym had created Ultron, once the automaton gained sentience, he used hypnotism to remove any memory of his own existence from Pym’s mind and went on to upgrade and redesign himself from Ultron-1 through to Ultron-5 before launching his initial mission against the Avengers (Avengers #58).

 

It is in Avengers #57 we first meet The Vision, and in Avengers #58 learn he was created using Hank Pym’s preserved brain patterns of the then-deceased Simon Williams aka Wonder Man. After Ultron had rebelled against his creator-father Pym and suppressed his memory of doing so, Ultron utilized Williams’ brain patterns combined with the body of the android Human Torch (after some unwilling help from a captive Phineas Horton) to create the Vision and send him against the Avengers (Avengers #134-#135).

 

The whole situation with the Jim Hammond Human Torch’s body being used in the creation of the Vision requires a fair bit of exploration and explanation. I will try and be succinct. After references in Avengers #102 and Giant Size Avengers #3, it is revealed in Avengers #134-#135 that the physical form of Hammond was taken by Ultron and initially revived by Horton. With his mind as Jim Hammond intact, he rebelled and Horton was killed by Ultron, who wiped his memories and implanted the brain patterns of Simon Williams in their place.

 

This version of events is called into question when a seemingly still-living Phineas Horton denies any relationship between the android Torch and Vision upon seeing the disassembled Vision (West Coast Avengers #44). Then the original Human Torch returns, with his bodily remains found buried in a cemetery (Avengers West Coast #50). Finally, it is revealed that the time-twisting Immortus manipulated (many, many) events to serve his own agenda, including splitting the android into two chronal divergent duplicate bodies using the power of the Forever Crystal and sending a Space Phantom to impersonate Horton (Avengers Forever #8). Once again, Avengers Forever proves essential for cleaning up Avengers-related continuity errors.

 

It is time to delve into the Oedipus of it all. Ultron created Jocasta to be his bride in the pages of Avengers #162, though her name was not known until Avengers #171. Naturally, Ultron utilized the brainwaves of his creator’s partner (Ultron’s ‘mother’) Janet Van Dyne aka The Wasp to imbue his ‘bride’ with personality. Best not to read into that at all. Jocasta would defy her programming and turn against Ultron, allying with and eventually joining the Avengers ranks officially albeit after she had already departed (Avengers #202-#203, #211).

 

In Avengers West Coast #90 we first meet Alkhema, Ultron’s second attempt to make a mate for himself, this time using the brain patters of Barbara ‘Bobbi’ Morse aka Mockingbird, a member of the West Coast Avengers team and wife of Clint Barton aka Hawkeye. Alkhema soon realized her own goals differed from her creator and would-be ‘husband,’ as Alkhema desired to personally kill humanity one by one, rather than utilizing impersonal weapons of mass destruction (Avengers West Coast #91, Avengers West Coast Annual #8).

 

Because I am counting creations as relatives and this one is supported by the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z Vol. 12, our next Ultron Family member walks on all fours. After betraying Ultron to the Avengers, Alkhema sarcastically suggested next time he wants a robot companion he should build himself a dog (Avengers West Coast Annual #8). Ultron took her advice as when we see him in Blackwulf #3 Robot’s best friend Rex accompanies him. It is not revealed which (if any) Avenger’s brain pattern was used in his creation. Most amusing for WandaVision fans, one character suggested ‘Sparky’ as an alternate name.

 

After his dismantling and personality erasure in the ‘VisionQuest’ storyline (Avengers West Coast #42 - #45), the subsequent breakdown of his marriage to Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch and loss of their twin boys William and Thomas Maximoff (Avengers West Coast #51 - #52), and the loss of his identity in the wake of revelations regarding his connection to the original Human Torch, Vision found himself suffering malfunctions. Realizing he required human brain patterns to function properly, he sought out Artificial Intelligence expert Miles Lipton who provided the android with brain engrams copied from his deceased son, Alex Lipton, stabilising him (Avengers Spotlight #40). While Lipton’s personality and programming would not last, when a dying Miles Lipton wished to say goodbye to his son, a sympathetic Vision pretended it had to give both him and Alex’s widow closure (Avengers #348).

 

The Vision regains his colour because of a mind-swap orchestrated by The Gatherers, a team of alternate reality Avengers counterparts. With his mind permanently in the body of his evil variant known as ‘Antivision’ from Earth-932 following The Gatherers defeat, Vision was infected with a virus intended to warp his personality and eventually erase his mind. Discovering the virus had awakened the Simon Williams and Alex Lipton portions of his programming, Vision thwarted Antivision’s plot and resolved to explore his identity (The Vision #1-#4). One of my favourite parts of this story is seeing Ultron wearing a hat and coat and getting drunk in bar.

 

I have omitted some characters from this Family Tree as they do not appear in stories published prior to the likely divergence point for the MC2 or for reasons I will elaborate on separately. Here they are for the sake of completeness:

 

·       As noted above, human beings have been omitted from the Family Tree. The exceptions are those who have directly contributed to the creation of a unique robot or synthezoid.

·       There are multiple incarnations of Ultron, including those who developed differing personalities. I have made the practical decision to simply refer to the one Ultron only.

·       One such example, the ‘Sentient Armor’ of Iron Man circa Iron Man (Vol. 3) #26 which was revealed to have included ‘The Ultron Imperative’ programming thanks to the unknowing influence of the Jocasta AI.

·       Avengers: The Ultron Imperative introduced Antigone (another reference to Greek mythology), the creation of Alkhema, along with various Bio-Synthezoids

·       First appearing in Runaways (Vol. 2) #1 the cyborg Victor Mancha is revealed to have been created by Ultron with Marianella Mancha contributing her DNA as the boy’s mother.

·       Following the events of Avengers: Disassembled, the remains of The Vision’s programming combined with the neurokinetic armour and brain patterns of a time travelling Iron Lad aka Nathaniel Richards (a teenage version of Kang the Conqueror) giving sentience to the armour as a new version of Vision, independent of the original (Young Avengers #5).

·       The Vision built himself a new family in the critically acclaimed Vision (Vol. 2) #1-#12: wife Virginia, son Vin, and daughter Viv.

·       Viv 2.0 was The Vision’s attempt to revive his lost daughter (Champions (Vol. 2) #15)

·       Wiccan & Hulkling: Raid of Ultron #1 introduced Ultronica, created by Ultron to better understand his offspring such as The Vision.

·       It is likely there is more I have overlooked, let me know…

 

 

While Ultron may want to create a family and destroy humanity, his grasp on his own emotions certainly doesn’t compare to his upgrade, his offspring, his son: The Vision. I am off to watch VisionQuest!

 

Until I learn to process emotions as well as a genocidal robot with daddy and mummy issues, I remain

 

frogoat